Loom shuttle



Dec. 2, 1958 P. c. CONSOLETTI 2,862,526

LOOM SHUTTLE Filed May 16, 1955 INVEN TOR. v PAUL C. CONSOLETTI ZYZQWMJI A TTORNE Y United States Patent LOOM SHUTTLE Paul C. Consoletti, Milford, Mass., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,425

7 Claims. '(Cl. 139-196) This invention relates to shuttles for looms, and more particularly, to a novel spur especially adapted for use with shuttles molded from plastic material.

It is a general object of the invention to devise a shuttle spur which may be easily made by cold forming metal and which shall cooperate with a molded shuttle body to present a better zone or area within which the material of one joins the other to prevent undesirable chafing or cutting of the warp threads.

It is a more specifi object of the invention to devise a shuttle body, spur combination in which the area of joining or abutting of the two parts is not confined to a single plane, but is disposed over an appreciable extent lengthwise of the shuttle thereby to obviate the possibility of wear of the body material leaving a sharp edge of the spur tip exposed to catch warp threads as the shuttle passes through the shed.

Other objects will become apparent from the following disclosure.

Normally the spur of a shuttle comprised a tip and shank the tip being somewhat conical in form and in which the transition from tip toshank appears as a transverse abutment or shoulder which is forced into place against a corresponding flat face at the end of theshuttle body. With wooden shuttles'this works out rather well, but it has been found that with molded plastic shuttles, the material of the body adjacent the tip may wear after a long period of use so as to expose the sharp edge of the tip at the line of juncture between the two. The wear seems to be confined to a zone of a fraction of an inch adjacent that line. The effect of this is apparent in that a smooth contour is no longer presented to the warp threads as the shuttle passes through the shed. When the wear becomes far enough advanced, the sharp edge of the tip abrades the warp threads and in some instances may tear out a section of the warp. To avoid this it becomes necessary to correct the difiiculty, for example, -by grinding and polishing the metal tip.

According to the invention hereinafter described in detail, a spur is preferably formed by upsetting or cold forming from a steel rod so that a surface for cooperating with the plastic of the shuttle presents an external configuration such that the joining line is non-planar and undulating to break up the surfaces so there may be no plane at which a worn surface of the shuttle body will leave an edge or abutment to catch the warp threads.

The spur tip is formed with a corrugated surface against which the plastic or other body material bears and when the spurs are held in a mold cavity and the plastic injected that material will fill the grooves between the ridges of the corrugations. That leaves a surface in which there is no sudden transition from plastic to metal at a single definite plane, but rather an overlapping of the 2 to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a shuttle to which the invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one form of spur according to the invention.

I spur of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section at line 6-6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a section at line 7--7, Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a section showing a further modification.

1 Now referring to Fig. 1, a shuttle generally indicated by numeral 10 is preferably molded from a plastic material such as any of the synthetic resins, for example, or from some one of the lighter metals or alloys and has molded therein at either end spurs such as the spur 11.

; These spurs have a tip 12 and a shank 13, the latter being slightly enlarged at its end so as to be held against loosening in the body.

A spring 14 and cover 15 are of conventional construc- .tion and serve the usual purpose of releasably holding a bobbin 16.

As above stated the invention consists in one example of forming the conical tip 12 and the shank 13 from a rod R or other piece of stock of such type as to be cold formed or upset to shape the enlarged end of the shank and also the tip. In addition it is preferred that an extension or holder be formed at the tip end, this 'being for the purpose of retaining the spur in the mold while injecting and casting the shuttle body. After curing or whenever the mold is opened, the shuttle body and spurs are further worked or processed at which time this extension may be ground off and the exterior surface of the tip formed and smoothed to the desired shape.

The usual shuttle spur is characterized by a shoulder at right angles to the shank so that when inserted ina shuttle body the line joining metal spur and wood, plastic or other body lies in a single plane. This is not an undesirable thing with wooden shuttles and with spurs made materials with no appreciable part or extent of the line of juncture normal to the length of the shuttle.

The invention will be described in detail by reference denfiite hazard as the warp threads catch on the spur rim as the shuttle passes through the shed.

N ow referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, instead of a shoulder at rlght angles to the shank, a transition section from tip to shank takes the form of a series of corrugations havmg ridges 18 and grooves 19. Here there are six of each, but that is a detail open to change in accordance with other practical factors entering into the shuttle-loom comblnation. The depth of the grooves may vary from less than 4; inch to inch or better but preferably will be close to or between these limits.

The grooves merge with the ridges at the shank and increase in depth outwardly to the greatest depth at the conical surface of the tip in the form of spur shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6.

When the plastic or other material in which the spur is held has been cured or has hardened, it retains the spur by the enlarged end of the shank while rotation is prevented by the interengaging corrugated surfaces. It can be seen that the ridges and grooves of the spur fit into complementary grooves and ridges which will necessarily form in the molded body. Other rotation preventing means are not needed.

I found a lip or other projection normal to the length of the shuttle upon which or by which the Warp threads may catch. All surfaces incline in a direction to permit the threads to slip off or over them.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 7 a modification deals with a similar shank 20 and tip 21 between which the corrugated part has ridges 22 and grooves 23, the ridges actually being undercut as at 24 so that the ridges overhang and may be bent downwardly by striking with a hammer or by any squeezing process.

As shown in Fig. 8, these ridges 22 may be bent inwardly slightly and then by forming the mold properly with a projection directed inwardly so that the plastic body will be shaped with a recess or dimple 25 at this bent part and will not flow over or cover that part of the spur, the plastic molds higher than the metal at the ridges of the latter. This shuttle may wear considerably without exposing the metal at those areas to the passing warp threads. The surfaces at the grooves are receding so the threads slip over them even if the metal there becomes slightly higher than the adjoining plastic.

The spurs may be placed in the mold so that they will be positioned in the final product with a particular part of the tip, preferably a groove, exposed to the most severe action of the warp. The warp threads will then abrade the plastic not so much at a ridge, but rather at a groove 19 or 23.

While the corrugations are shown here of uniform size and spacing, it may in some instances be better to space unevenly so that at the areas where most wear occurs a more theoretically correct disposition of material may be realized.

While one embodiment and modifications of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a loom shuttle the combination of a molded plastic shuttle body and a spur having a shank and a tip, the spur shank being inset in the shuttle body during molding and the tip and body being so formed at the line of juncture between the two that each part is characterized by a series of complementary corrugations having A ridges and grooves which originate at the spur shank, the ridges of the body conforming to the grooves of the spur tip.

2. In a loom shuttle the combination of a molded plastic shuttle body and a spur having a shank and a tip, the spur shank being inset in the shuttle body during molding and the adjoining portions of the tip and body being so formed that each presents a series of ridges and grooves which originate substantially at the spur shank, the ridges of one fitting into the grooves of the other.

3. In a loom shuttle the combination of a molded plastic shuttle body and a spur having a shank and a tip, the spur shank being inset in the shuttle body during molding and the tip and body being so formed that the tip is characterized by a series of ridges and grooves which originate substantially at the spur shank, and the body a series of complementary ridges and grooves molded to fit into and against those of the tip.

4. In a loom shuttle the combination of a molded plastic shuttle body and a spur having a shank and a tip, the spur shank being inset in the shuttle body during molding and the tip and body being so formed that the tip is characterized by a series of undercut ridges and intermediate grooves each of which originates at the spur shank, and the body a series of complementary ridges and grooves molded to fit into and against those of the tip.

5. A shuttle body and spur a defined in claim 4 wherein the ends of the ridges of the spur tip are bent inwardly.

6. A shuttle body and spur as defined in claim 4 wherein the ends of the ridges of the spur tip are bent inwardly and have their outer surface lying in a recess in the body.

7. A shuttle spur having a tip and shank, said tip being blended into the shank by a corrugated, shuttle body abutting section having alternating ridges and grooves which originate substantially at the spur shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,465,920 Pavia Mar. 29, 1949 2,658,533 Gosselin Nov. 10, 1953 2,699,186 Gosselin Jan. 11, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,021,811 France Dec. 10, 1952 

